12:05 Wetherby

Saturday 8 December 2018

All12:0512:4013:1013:4014:1514:5015:25

racinguk.com Novices' Hurdle

Off time: 12:05 | Winning time: 5m 26.6s

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Selected odds by:

Burdigala¹⁶⁶

Age: 5| Weight: 10-12| J: Alain Cawley| T: Micky Hammond

50/1

Scored over fences in France, but that sole win came from 38 attempts. Gelded since last seen in September and looks one to watch on British/stable debut.

Form: 84440/1

Dr Time⁴⁹

Age: 6| Weight: 10-12| J: Benjamin Poste| T: T Symonds

20/1

20-1 and respectable effort in debut in a Ffos Las maiden bumper in October. Bred to do better now tackling obstacles and this longer trip. Could go well.

Form: 7

Fifth Symphony³⁰

Age: 4| Weight: 10-12| J: Danny McMenamin⁽⁷⁾| T: B Pauling

11/1

Looked well ahead of his Newbury bumper debut last month, when 14½L eighth. Interesting now upped in trip for hurdles debut, with decent claimer up.

Form: 8

Ice Galley³²

Age: 5| Weight: 10-12| J: A Nicol| T: P A Kirby

50/1

1-20 on the Flat (won over 1m6f on good to firm), where he is officially rated 66. Soft ground is a concern, but his trainer does well here and he would be interesting if backed.

Form:

Iwasthefutureonce²¹

Age: 5| Weight: 10-12| J: C O'Farrell| T: T D Easterby

80/1

Point-to-point winner who was beaten 25L here on his hurdles debut (2m3½f, good) last month. Stable's runners usually improve for their debut, but he may be more of a handicap proposition.

Form: 2P-19

Jack Riddell^p1²⁴

Age: 10| Weight: 10-12| J: Jonathon Bewley⁽³⁾| T: G Bewley

200/1

Sent off 100-1 for his recent debut at Ayr and showed next to nothing. Cheekpieces now on but can only watch.

Form: P

Mountain Hawk²¹

Age: 6| Weight: 10-12| J: Jamie Hamilton| T: T D Easterby

25/1

Has shown some promise in both a bumper for Malcolm Jefferson and on his reappearance/stable debut here over hurdles last month. Should be capable of improvement now upped in trip, and will need some to compete.

Form: 4/4

My Turgeon¹²

Age: 5| Weight: 10-12| J: R D Day| T: B Pauling

50/1

Last in both a bumper and on his hurdles debut on good/heavy ground. Can only watch.

Form: 4-5

Thelongwayaround²¹

Age: 5| Weight: 10-12| J: W T Kennedy| T: J Parkinson & S Smith

14/1

Irish point-to-point winner who has shown promise on both rules starts. More needed, but step up again in trip looks positive. Not ruled out of the prizes.

Form: P125

Time To Move On³⁰⁰

Age: 5| Weight: 10-12| J: P J Brennan| T: F O'Brien

6/4

Dual Exeter bumper winner on soft/heavy last season. Taken out of intended hurdles debut back there due to the ground (good to soft). Looks to have a future and is very interesting on his hurdles debut.

Form: 11-

Two For Gold²⁰

Age: 5| Weight: 10-12| J: David Bass| T: K Bailey & M Nicholls

4/6

Dual bumper winner who was beaten just over 4L in a Cheltenham Grade 2 on his recent hurdles debut. That is the best hurdles form in this field, and with the potential for improvement now upped in trip, he looks the one to beat.

Form: 161-4

Forecasts

Two For Gold (4/6), Time To Move On (6/4), Fifth Symphony (11/1), Thelongwayaround (14/1), Dr Time (20/1), Mountain Hawk (25/1), Burdigala (50/1), My Turgeon (50/1), Ice Galley (50/1), Iwasthefutureonce (80/1), Jack Riddell (200/1)

Not lots of strength-in-depth here, but the bottom two on the racecard could both be going places and are likely to have it between them, unless something else can find significant improvement. For today, TWO FOR GOLD has plenty going for him, after a very good hurdles debut when pitched in at Grade 2 level last month. Time To Move On is not taken on lightly, given that he is unbeaten, but he may just have to give best to his chief rival's bit of extra experience. Thelongwayaround, Mountain Hawk, Dr Time and Fifth Symphony are worth considering for each-way players.